Sioux Falls City Council Members Create Conversations with Residents
Sioux Falls City Council members are trying a new way to get input from their residents.
Every third Saturday of the month, members of the council will meet with attendees at Leonardo’s Cafe in the Washington Pavilion for an open discussion.
The goal is to have different counselors each month and create a consistent time when citizens can voice their ideas, concerns and have more direct conversations with their representatives.
Although the attendance was small for the first “coffee with counselors” event, organizer Rich Makoris hopes that more residents will continue to join the conversation.
“I think at the end of the day, the more input we get, the better decisions we can make because we haven’t got the different perspectives,” said Makoris.
During the meeting, topics discussed included the sustainability plan, transportation, the homeless crisis, and pothole repairs.
Attendees, such as government teacher Keegan Hecht, found the meeting helpful to learn more about local politics.
“Having that background knowledge as an educator is helpful in case something comes up that way I can at least respond with some amount of facts and experience to help a student who has a question,” said Hecht.
One significant issue discussed during the meeting was pothole repairs.
Counselors have reallocated half a million dollars to fix the potholes in Sioux Falls.
The repairs will take place when the ground warms up.
The Sioux Falls City Council hopes that creating conversations with their residents will allow them to make better decisions and address the concerns of their citizens.
